Improvement in scissors-sharpeners



l. H. BEARDSLEY. Scissors-Sharpeners.

N0 155 407 Patented Sept.29,1874.

UNITED STAQIES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. BEARDSLEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SCISSORS-SHARPENERS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent N0. 155,407, dated September29, 1874 application Iiled December 29, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES H. BEARDSLEY, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement inScissors-Sharpeners, of which the following is a specification:

This invention comprises the combination of a peculiarly-Shaped recess,provided in the one of a pair of horizontal holdingplates of a knife andScissors Sharpener, with the vibratory file, and the lateral holdingnotch of the aforesaid implement, whereby the same is rendered muchbetter adapted for sharpening scissors than has-hitherto been feasible.

Figures l and 3 are plan views of a knife and scissors Sharpenerconstructed according to my invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionat the line :v of Fig. l.

A is the base of the apparatus constituted by a at piece of wood, havingtwo parallel edges, a b, and with one end extended in angular form, asshown at c, to provide a bearing for the fulcrum of a laterally-swinginglever, B. Upon the end c of the base A is iixed a small pillow-piece,j', rounded upon its upper side, as shown in Fig. 2. A vertical pin, g,connects the end ofthe lever to the pillo\vpiece, and provides thefulcrum of the lever. The end of the lever is sufficiently' loose uponthe pin g to permit a limited upward motion of the lever, sufficient topermit the putting'` in place of the article to be sharpened, as willhereafter appear, at the same time that the lateral swing' of the latterupon a well-defined arc is permitted. Attached upon the under side ofthe lever B-at, say, one-third of its length from its outer or freeend-is a flle, c, having a surface suitably formed for abrading orgrinding away any ordinary metallic substance with which it may bebrought in frictional contact. Fixed upon the board, below the path inwhich the file c is moved by the horizontal movement of the lever, aretwo plates, D E. rlhe inner edges of these plates are raised, as shownin Fig. 2. In the shortest edge a of the base A is provided an angularnotch, m, and in the plate E is a recess, n. This recess n should haveits innermost side 'or surface nearly or quite coincident with the notchm, and the adjacent end of the plate D must be shortened so as not tocome between the said recess and notch. The proper position of theseparts is indicated with a precision sufficient for all vpracticalpurposes in Figs. 2 and 3.

In order to sharpen a knife the blade thereof iS thrust, with its back,under the plate D, and the under side resting upon the upper edge oftheother plate E, as indicated in Figs. l and 2. The lever is then moved tosweep the file across the inclined edge of the knife, which done, onceor oftener, the position of the knife may be reversed, its -back beingplaced under the plate E, and its side upon the upper edge of the plateD, whereupon the knife-edge may be sharpened upon the side opposite thatfirst named.

In order to sharpen a pair of scissors, the same are opened so that thetwo blades are brought nearly or quite at right angles to each other,and the blade to be sharpened is laid obliquely across the plate E, andresting, back downward, iu the recess n therein. Simultaneous with thisthe other blade, being brought vertical, has its handle portion pressedinto the notch m, and resting firmly against the inner surface of thesame. This portion of the parts brings the edge of the horizontal bladeat such an angle that the file, being swept across the same in the samemanner as in sharpening a knife, as hereinbefore eX- plained, willsharpen the same to the requisite edge. This accomplished with one bladeof the scissors, the latter' are reversed to bring the other blade inlike position, whereupon the operation is repeated. When, as maysometimes occur, the edge left by the file upon the knife or scissors,as the case may be, is somewhat rough,it may be finished by drawing itat a suitable angle across or upon a piece of steel, r, fixed on theupper side of the lever.

In sharpening the scissors, as explained, the apparatus may be mostconveniently manipulated by turning it upon its edge b, thereby bringingthe base nearly or quite into a vertical plane.

I do not coniine myself to any particular shape or configuration of theparts so long as the arrangement and operation are the same ashereinbefore fully described.

What I claim as my invention is- The base A, provided with the lateralholding notch fm, and the plate E, having the recess u, in combinationWith the pivoted lever, carrying the le B, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

Witnesses: J. H. BEARDSLEY.

JAMES A. WHITNEY, W. M. EDWARDS.

